UK supermarket property deals hit record 1.8 bln stg in 2013

LONDON, March 5 (Reuters) - Supermarket property deals in Britain hit a record 1.8 billion pounds ($3 billion) in 2013 as investor competition drove up prices, reflecting the strong appetite grocers such as Wm Morrison could tap should they decide to offload real estate. A report by Investment Property Databank and property consultant, Colliers International on Wednesday showed deal volumes surged 50 percent in 2013 from the previous year on a 5.8 percent increase in values, the strongest an